A Green Road Blog 

Wake Up Call for House Leadership

Nearly 60 of the biggest Democratic Party givers sent a letter in support of the Fair Elections Now Act to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) this week. These individuals, who have provided immense financial support to congressional candidates, are calling on House leadership to support Fair Elections campaign reform in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

The New York Times reported on the letter noting that the signers are among the wealthy elite few. “[A]dvocates of stricter campaign financing laws have enlisted a roster of about 60 of the biggest donors to the House Democratic campaign committee — donors like Jonathan Soros, son of the billionaire financier George Soros, Douglas Durst, the New York real estate magnate; and Herb Sandler, the banker-turned-philanthropist.”

Big donors are constantly on the receiving end of fundraising calls and know that those vying for political office must constantly raise money. The Citizens United decision will only increase the number of solicitations and even these wealthy donors want elections to be about issues and ideas and not who has the biggest bank account.

The letter-signers made a fervent plea to Speaker Pelosi to support the Fair Elections Now Act. “The threat of outside intervention in elections, on a scale not seen before, will add to the already intolerable pressure on members of Congress to raise campaign funds, a consuming distraction for those who are tasked with leading our nation during difficult times such as these…We urge that you embrace the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826) as a leading measure to ensure, in the words of our President, that American elections are not ‘bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests.’”

To read the full text of the letter, please click here.

Seventy-four percent. According to anew poll, that’s the percentage of Americans who believe special interests have too much influence in Washington, D.C. The national survey, conducted by the bipartisan pair of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D) and McKinnon Media (R), found that voters are disillusioned with Congress and the way elections are funded.

The poll also shows that 79 percent of respondents believe that members of Congress are controlled by the people who finance their campaigns. This number isn’t just about perception – the debates in Congress reflect this. Big money special interests and industry lobbyists have successfully killed or watered down legislation on the health care overhaul, financial regulatory reform, and energy policy.

“Voters are tired of special interests’ stranglehold over the policy making process in Washington, D.C.,” said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Campaign Action Fund. “The Supreme Court’s [Citizens United] decision has made the situation worse and they expect Congress to act.”

Voters are ready to see broad and bold legislation to reform the way we pay for elections. Sixty-two percent of respondents support campaign reform like the Fair Elections Now Act. The Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826, S. 752) empowers small donors and takes the focus off of Wall Street and puts it on Main Street. It’s time that Congress listens to the voters.

To read the full polling memo, click here.

Last week Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) unveiled a legislative response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs. FEC. Their proposal is designed to increase transparency by instituting new disclosure requirements and limits on spending by foreign-controlled companies, recipients of bailout money, and federal contractors.

The lawmakers warned that without prompt legislative action, elections would see an explosion of corporate political ads. "We need to move very quickly to blunt the corrosive impact of this decision on democracy," noted Rep. Van Hollen.

While this legislation is certainly a good start at remedying the potential effects of the Citizens United ruling, it does not address Congress’ reliance on big money donors and special interest money. Common Cause and Public Campaign put out a press releasefollowing the introduction of the proposal, which states that any response must go further to include the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752, H.R. 1826).

“These are good first steps but as a package they fall short of getting to the heart of the problem of money in politics,” said Nick Nyhart, president and CEO of Public Campaign. “At the end of the day, these proposals still leave members of Congress dependent on money from Wall Street interests, insurance companies, and the other deep pocket interests who control Washington, D.C. Congress needs to move quickly to enact the Fair Elections Now Act that gives voters control, and do so without delay.”

To read the full press release, click here.

In the Paid for By...Blog

• Sen. Dodd on The Colbert Report: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) slams the Citizens United ruling and tells Colbert that he supports congressional public financing.
  
• Large Majority Opposes Supreme Court Decision: A new poll by The Washington Post shows eight in 10 oppose the Citizens United ruling.
  
• Public Model: The Raleigh News & Observer praises the Clean Elections system in North Carolina.